The goal of the TAIL-PrEP study is to understand how to support the safe discontinuation of injectable long-acting cabotegravir (cab-LA) while maximizing the public health impact of biomedical HIV prevention interventions. In Aim 1, the study will pilot test and assess the acceptability and feasibility of the TAIL-PrEP intervention, which will use cabotegravir drug level monitoring to provide personalized HIV prevention coaching to patients discontinuing long-acting cab-LA. In Aim 2, the study will refine the TAIL-PrEP intervention and implementation strategy based on findings from the pilot study.
Oral PrEP is highly effective but underutilized, with only 25% of individuals eligible for PrEP in the US having a prescription. Recent approval of cabotegravir-LA (cab-LA), a long-acting injectable integrase inhibitor and the first long-acting injectable PrEP, presents an opportunity to increase uptake. However, the long and variable half-life of cab-LA across different individuals after discontinuation (called the "tail") poses an implementation challenge. During the tail, cabotegravir levels are sub-therapeutic but could select for integrase-inhibitor resistance if the patient were to acquire HIV. This concern about the tail presents a barrier to providers prescribing cab-LA, potentially limiting the contribution of cab-LA to achieving End the HIV Epidemic targets and PrEP uptake and HIV infection. Currently, to mitigate this risk, individuals are advised to use oral PrEP for up to and beyond 12 months after stopping cab-LA injections if they have an ongoing risk of becoming infected with HIV. However, a risk mitigation strategy that requires daily oral PrEP may not be feasible or acceptable to many patients who started injectable PrEP precisely because they were unable or unwilling to adhere to a daily medication. The goal of the TAIL-PrEP study is to pilot test and assess the acceptability and feasibility of the TAIL-PrEP intervention, which will use cabotegravir drug levels measured in blood specimens to provide personalized feedback and HIV prevention coaching (Aim 1); and refine the TAIL-PrEP intervention and implementation strategy based on findings from the pilot study (Aim 2).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
30
The TAIL-PrEP intervention is comprised of two components: (1) monthly cab-LA monitoring with specimens self-collected by patient and mailed to a lab for processing; and (2) monthly HIV prevention coaching with personalized cab-LA feedback.
Columbia University Irving Medical Center / NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
New York, New York, United States
Acceptability among Patients
Acceptability of the intervention will be assessed using the validated Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM). AIM is a 4-item scale where respondents rate each item using a 5-point ordinal scale that ranges from 1="completely disagree" to 5="completely agree". The AIM is scored by averaging responses across the 4 items. A higher average score indicates greater acceptability, which is a better outcome.
Time frame: 6 months
Feasibility among Patients
Feasibility of the intervention will be assessed using the validated Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM). FIM is a 4-item scale where respondents rate each item using a 5-point ordinal scale that ranges from 1="completely disagree" to 5="completely agree". The FIM is scored by averaging responses across the 4 items. A higher average score indicates greater feasibility, which is a better outcome.
Time frame: 6 months
Adherence to TAIL-PrEP intervention
Adherence to the intervention will be assessed by calculating the proportion of intervention components completed out of components possible.
Time frame: 6 months
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